The consultant says a lot about the candidate- UPDATED

Interesting to note, Chris Turner referenced in the article below was at the training session I taught with Anita Moncrief during CPAC -AFP’s Right ON-Line in Florida on Friday.

Also interesting to note- (See the screen shot below) taken from Murphy Turner Associates FaceBook wall.

“More big news from Murphy Turner: Firm partner Wayne Hamilton officially named National Political Director for Perry for President!”

More big news from Murphy Turner: Firm partner Wayne Hamilton officially named National Political Director for Perry for President!”

Please take special notice in the article below.

“Like Eppstein, Murphy Turner has a direct connection to House Speaker Joe Straus, working for his re-election. Murphy Turner accepted direct payments from the Speaker for ad work, according to Texas Ethics Commission records.

Additionally, Murphy Turner has worked for moderate Republican Jim Pitts from Waxahachie for years. Pitts has been a thorn in the collective conservative side since his rise to power alongside moderate House Speaker Joe Straus.”

It is time for “Conservative Information Pushers” to flip the funnel.

I have a feeling Chris Turner did not appreciate the Flipping the Funnel slide during my presentation.

The question now is….. why is Gov. Rick Perry using the same Political Consulting team as Speaker of the House Joe Straus?

After the results from the Florida Straw Poll that may not have been the best idea.

” Cain carried 37% of the vote, Perry 15% and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney 14%. Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum was at 11%, Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 10% and former House speaker Newt Gingrich at 9%.”

How do you know if a “conservative” candidate is or isn’t conservative? How can you know what a candidate’s promises are worth?

One of the most important factors is something average Texans aren’t up to speed on: political consultants. A candidate’s political consultant speaks volumes.

Last month Mike Hailey of the Capitol Inside opened the door to this issue, highlighting a race between Bennett Ratliff and Matt Rinaldi. Hailey rightly used campaign consultants as a proxy for House Speaker politics, with consultant Bryan Eppstein on the Speaker’s side and consultant Kevin Brannon on the conservative side. Bryan Eppstein represents several other Speaker allies besides Ratliff.

Eppstein has a consistently liberal client track record. Other consultants have tracked a different course.

Comprised of consultants Craig Murphy, Chris Turner, and Wayne Hamilton, the “Murphy Turner” client lineup has, over time, gone from shaky to bad.

Like Eppstein, Murphy Turner has a direct connection to House Speaker Joe Straus, working for his re-election. Murphy Turner accepted direct payments from the Speaker for ad work, according to Texas Ethics Commission records.

Additionally, Murphy Turner has worked for moderate Republican Jim Pitts from Waxahachie for years. Pitts has been a thorn in the collective conservative side since his rise to power alongside moderate House Speaker Joe Straus.

A google news search for Jim Pitts reveals he has recently been embroiled in a controversy over hosting an event for LGBT political activists at his home in Highland Park. The posh suburb North of Dallas is not part of Pitts’ district. The Texas Republican Party platform, which Pitts bi-annually runs on, promotes laws protecting traditional values.

Once upon a time Murphy Turner counted conservative State Rep. Bill Zedler as a client. While a Murphy Turner client, Zedler lost his 2008 election to Democrat Chris Turner (no relation to Chris Turner of Murphy Turner). In 2010 Zedler hired a new consultant. Murphy Turner recruited a new client to challenge Zedler. Zedler won the primary over Murphy Turner’s moderate selection.

They failed to take out Zedler in 2010 but succeeded in taking out a stalwart conservative in 2008. Nathan Macias was replaced with Doug Miller who, in two subsequent sessions, has failed to live up to Macias’s conservative record.

Consultant influence doesn’t stop at elections.

Consultants often wear the pants in the relationship, given that they often recruit the candidate. Consultants know which crowd can fund campaigns and often steer their canddiate to be in the right crowd.

Knowing your candidate’s mettle is made easier by knowing which political consultant represents them.

Daniel Greer is Executive Director of AgendaWise. Previously, Daniel worked for Empower Texans, a non-profit direct advocacy group focused on fiscal policy in Texas. He holds a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. A native Texan, Daniel is a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, played baseball at St. Edwards University, and lives in Austin with his wife Karen and their two dogs.

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Interesting to note, Chris Turner referenced in the article below was at the training session I taught with Anita Moncrief during CPAC -AFP’s Right ON-Line in Florida on Friday.
Also interesting to note- (See the screen shot below) taken from Murphy Turner Associates FaceBook wall.
“More big news from Murphy T